The next step, where to put coolant in a BMW 5 Series, is perhaps the one you are most interested in. Now that you understand how crucial it is to maintain the appropriate quantity of this coolant. Here are the many methods to help you identify the expansion tank that holds the coolant for your BMW 5 Series, and finding it is fairly simple:
- Wait a few minutes or so for your engine to warm up before taking any action to avoid getting burned when checking the coolant level.
- Your car’s hood should be opened.
- The expansion tank for your BMW 5 Series’ coolant must be promptly located; it is typically located in one of the four corners of your engine block. To find it, simply search for a plastic container with a black or yellow plastic cap and a hazard emblem or thermometer on top.
In This Article...
For a BMW, what kind of coolant do I need?
For BMW vehicles, the ZEREX G-48 coolant is perfect. The coolant, which is made for both diesel and gasoline engines, contains low-silicate, pH, anti-phosphate technology that guards against corrosion in all metals, including aluminum.
It is diluted at a 1:1 ratio to protect the modern engine’s components from freezing in the winter and boiling over in the summer. Additionally, the combination is prepared in 5:7 ratios for maximum protection. It also includes a high-quality defoamer system and contains less silicon than the vehicle’s mandated 250 parts per million.
My BMW has no coolant, can I add some?
You can purchase antifreeze that is full strength and needs to be diluted with distilled water before being applied to the engine system, or you can purchase ready-made combinations of coolant that already have water added.
In a BMW, where is the coolant located?
Find the coolant reservoir by opening the hood. This tiny black tank is typically located to the left of the engine in BMW models, but it isn’t always the case. If you’re unsure of what to look for, double-check your owner’s manual. Turn the cap slowly counterclockwise to gradually remove the extra pressure.
Do BMWs require specialized coolant?
In addition to controlling engine temperatures, the quality of your BMW coolant is essential for lubricating the water pump, guarding against corrosion and buildup, providing anti-freeze during the winter, and, in some models, assisting in cooling for engine and gearbox oil coolers. Not just any antifreeze will do; BMWs have special coolant needs (nitrite and phosphate free) to prevent build-up and corrosion of metal components. Along with BMW coolant, we also sell coolant additives like Red Line Water Wetter, which lower combustion chamber temperatures and elevate boiling points in order to prevent detonation and banging.
Can I use water in my BMW instead of coolant?
Your radiator system becomes more contaminated when you use water. Although using water instead of low coolant is significantly better for the engine, you should switch the water out as soon as you can for the proper coolant for your car.
Any remaining coolant in the radiator is diluted when water is added to it. Preventing corrosion, raising the boiling point of water, and reducing the freezing point of water are just a few of the crucial jobs that coolant does. While using water in place of the coolant will allow you to drive the automobile for a brief period of time, your engine won’t be adequately protected.
This means that the radiator needs to be filled with a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water as soon as the issue that led to a low coolant level is resolved.
Why does my BMW continually stating that the coolant is low?
Leaks in the radiator can cause your coolant to be low. radiator hose leaks. water pump leak. cracked or compromised radiator seal
BMW coolant is it pre-mixed?
BMW coolant is not pre-mixed when purchased. Simply purchase a gallon of coolant and a gallon of distilled water, then prepare the mixture as necessary. I would simply add a cup of distilled water if it only requires, say, a cup of coolant or water.
What is the price of BMW coolant?
A BMW 328i coolant change typically costs between $276 and $315. While materials are priced at $124, labor costs are projected to range from $151 to $191.
BMW coolant is what color?
To maintain your cooling system operating at its peak, we advise using only German OEM BMW engine antifreeze, part number 83192468442. (83 19 2 468 442). Because they don’t include nitrites, amines, phosphates, or borates, BMW exclusively suggests specific coolants. It is not permitted to use store-bought coolant from a nearby parts retailer.
2018 saw the introduction of this new green coolant, which has replaced the previous blue coolant. Green can be used on automobiles before 2018 and is backwards compatible with blue. BMW advises against using the older blue formula on vehicles created after January 2018.
The silicates in the green coolant provide further protection for the cooling system’s internals, although the coolant needs to be changed every two years.
For increased corrosion resistance, anti-freeze defense, and water pump lubrication in street cars, we advise combining distilled water in a 1:1 ratio with the mixture. Reduce the amount of antifreeze in your coolant mixture if you want more cooling properties, but only in warmer climates where freezing is impossible (see chart below). We advise monitoring the freezing point of the coolant mixture if you want to use antifreeze and water ratios other than 1:1.
Red Line Water Wetter can also be added if high temperatures could lead to engine banging or pre-ignition.
- Original BMW HT12 antifreeze from Germany, part number 83192468442
- optimum cooling, freeze prevention, lubrication of the water pump, and corrosion resistance
Can BMW use Prestone coolant?
Yes. OAT coolant/antifreeze Prestone also has anti-corrosion components to safeguard your cooling system. It works well in all vehicles, provides the same levels of security, and causes no harm.
Why does BMW have two tanks for coolant?
Low refers to the charge air (water cooled intercooler) system, whereas High refers to the engine cooling system. Your engine’s coolant system has to be topped out. The center-mounted one marked “low” is not equipped with a sensor to alert you when it is low.
Can you combine blue and green coolant in a BMW?
It appears that they can coexist, with green being able to mix with blue-filled cars but not the other way around. from getbmwparts copied: G48 coolant (blue) should not be used in vehicles that were first filled with HT-12, although BMW HT-12 can be used in any vehicle that now uses G48.
Can I add more coolant on my own?
It’s easy to top off the coolant in your engine by opening the reservoir cap; just make sure the engine isn’t running too hot and open the cap with a cloth wrapped around it in case there’s any trapped pressure. What you use to do this, though, is crucial.
- Use a quality engine coolant that you can purchase at an autocenter or local dealer. Simply adding water is not advised since any minute organisms or impurities could accumulate inside your engine and cause the coolant pipes to ‘fur’ up, thereby obstructing the internal waterways. If that’s all you have, it’s still preferable to use ordinary water rather than letting your coolant level get too low.
- Using distilled water instead of store-bought coolant is an option. Since this has been cleaned, it is free of the impurities that can harm your pipes.
Is it necessary to have the engine running when adding coolant?
Through circulation and heat removal, coolant keeps the engine of your car at a constant temperature. As a result, it may appear that adding coolant requires the vehicle to be in motion, although this is untrue.
Coolant addition shouldn’t be done with the engine running. If the engine is hot, you run the risk of getting burned or adding the incorrect amount of coolant. Make sure your engine is off, cool, and in neutral before you start because a hot engine could cause the coolant to expand.
The remainder of this article will outline the pros and cons of adding coolant to a running vehicle as well as step-by-step directions on how to add coolant to your vehicle.
Can I operate a vehicle with little coolant?
Electric cars, hybrid cars, diesel engines, and gasoline engines all inherently produce heat. Some of this heat is directed into the interior of your automobile when you turn on the heater for comfort. However, there are other ways to control the majority of the heat.
Your car relies on a liquid known as antifreeze, sometimes known as engine coolant, to guarantee that the engine maintains an ideal working temperature. Driving with insufficient coolant could cause your engine to overheat, which is usually bad for your engine, your car, and your trip!
Can you self-refill coolant?
Step back as the pressure releases, then slightly loosen the reservoir cover. The cap should then be fully removed. Add the proper coolant to the reservoir if the coolant level is low (not the radiator itself). Use diluted coolant alone or combine concentrated coolant and distilled water 50/50.
How long can you keep your coolant low?
How long can an engine run without coolant? is a question we hear a lot. Maybe answering this issue will be simpler now that you are aware of how crucial radiator coolant is. It is dangerous to drive a car with low or no engine coolant since it could harm some of the engine’s secondary and even primary components. It is preferable to stop if there is insufficient coolant in the vehicle. Even a brief drive in such a vehicle is not recommended because it could seriously harm the engine of your vehicle and incur expensive repairs.
Many new and modern automobile brands have a cut-off feature that checks the engine temperature and detects a lack of coolant. This detection feature turns off the car engine to guard against potential engine damage if there is a shortage of coolant in the cooling system of the car and, as a result, a perception of a significant increase in engine temperature.
However, if you drive an older vehicle, you must be aware of the symptoms of a coolant shortage to save your engines from overheating, seizing, or bursting a gasket. The following is a list of some of the most frequent cooling system parts that sustain the most harm when the cooling system overheats and runs out of coolant:
- water meter
- head seals
- engine timing for the cylinders and pistons
- piston head
- twisted or warped connection rods
- Lack of a crank
Repairing or replacing these parts is quite pricey. Therefore, try to avoid allowing your car’s cooling system to overheat due to a shortage of coolant.
How far can a car be driven without coolant, then? You can continue driving for a while if your car’s coolant level is low. Really, it depends on the coolant level. You can drive your car for a few days if it is low but still higher than the required amount. However, if the level is below the minimum, kindly do not even attempt to start your engine.
Is antifreeze the same as coolant?
Is coolant antifreeze? Engine coolant and antifreeze, however, are not the same. Before usage, antifreeze, a concentrated liquid with a glycol basis that must be diluted with water, is known as coolant. As an alternative, you can buy ready-to-use pre-mixed engine coolant, which is a mixture of antifreeze and water.
Antifreeze, which is mostly made of ethylene glycol, is used in a car’s cooling system to ensure that the engine can run without issue even in the coldest, subzero conditions. By reducing the freezing point of the coolant liquid inside your radiator, ethylene glycol also helps to lubricate the water pump and prevent corrosion.
Antifreeze and water are often blended in an engine coolant at a 50:50 ratio. This is due to the fact that antifreeze performs best when used as a diluted liquid (as a coolant) to battle extremely hot temperatures. All year long, the engine of your car may be successfully controlled to operate at the ideal temperature thanks to coolant in the cooling system.
Although antifreeze never goes bad, the chemicals that stop engine rust do. Therefore, it is advised that you replace your antifreeze in accordance with the manufacturer’s expiration recommendations.
Additionally, ethylene glycol is poisonous to both people and animals, so be sure to carefully heed the manufacturer’s safety recommendations and disposal guidelines.